Ganesh Chaturthi, or Vinayaka Chavithi

by Jayaram V

This is a complete account of the Hindu festival of
Ganesh Chaturthi, and how Ganesha is worshipped at home and in public
on the occasion. You will also know the essential aspects of the
Hindu domestic worship, Puja (or pooja).

Ganesh Chaturthi or Vinayaka Chaviti is celebrated in honor of
Lord Ganesha, who is also known as Vinayaka, Vighnesvara, Ganapathi,
and by numerous other names. He is one of the most popular deities
of Hinduism and regarded as the leader of Shiva’s bands of warriors
(ganas). The festival falls on the fourth day in the first half
of the month of Bhadrapada according to the Hindu calendar, which
approximately corresponds to the months of August or September.
Being a popular festival, which heralds the festive season for the
Hindus, it is celebrated throughout India, and abroad in several
countries, where Hindus are present.

History

We do not know when, and how the tradition of worshipping Ganesha
on Chaturthi began. Lord Ganesha was not a Vedic god although scholars
draw a connection between him and the Vedic deity, Brihaspathi or
Brahmanaspati, the teacher of Vedic gods. However, he is mentioned
in the Mahabharata as the deity who transcribed the entire epic
when Vyasa narrated it to him. He might have been a popular a deity
of the Agama and Tantra traditions of Shaivism or Shaktism or both.
Yajnavalkya Smriti ascribes to him negative qualities. Some scholars
suggest that prototypes of Ganesha were worshipped in prehistoric
times even outside India.

The tradition of worshipping an elephant headed deity might have
been prevalent in the royal armies, where elephants played a prominent
part in the battlefield as the destroyers of enemies. Alternatively,
he might have been a deity of the rural and folk traditions in the
areas where agricultural crops were exposed to frequent destruction
by elephants and rats. Whatever may be the antecedents, Ganesha
was a popular god of Hinduism by the medieval period. Images of
Ganesha were unearthed from several sites, some of them as old as
7th Century AD. There was an ancient sect by the name Ganapathya
sect (6th Century AD) which worshipped him as Brahman himself.

The popularity of Ganesha Chaturthi on a scale that we witness
today is a recent phenomenon. Few decades ago, the festival was
celebrated in public in certain important towns and cities only.
Most people worshipped him at home, since it followed immediately
the harvest season and heralded the beginning of new festive season
for the Hindu year. For common people, it was an occasion to express
gratitude to the deity and seek his help and protection in their
personal lives. They prayed to him for success and prosperity in
their lives and celebrated the festival with great enthusiasm. Nowadays,
the social or communal aspect of the celebration is more striking
as it is celebrated in public on a massive scale with great pomp
and color almost in every village, town and city of India, and even
abroad.

The public celebration of the festival said to have begun in
the Maratha kingdom, especially in Pune, during the time of Shivaji
(1630–1680 AD), the great Maratha ruler and founder of the Maratha
empire, which at its height covered vast tracts of central and southern
India. The Peshwas, who were the royal administrators of the empire,
continued the tradition. They worshipped Ganesha as their family
deity (Kula devata) and built many temples in his honor. After the
fall of the Maratha empire, the public celebration of the festival
fell into disuse. In places like Goa, the public celebration of
the festival was even prohibited. The celebration of the festival
continued at several places in the erstwhile Maratha empire such
as Gwalior, however on a very subdued scale.

The tradition was again revived in Maharashtra in 1890s by Bala
Gangadhar Tilak, one of the well-known public personalities and
freedom fighters of British India. In the public appeal of Ganesha
and the festival, Tilak saw a huge opportunity to unite the native
people against the British regime and inculcate in them feelings
of unity and nationalism. It was under his initiative people began
to install large public images of Ganesha in the pavilions during
the festival and carry them in large processions through crowded
streets for their submergence in the water bodies. In time, the
festival became popular throughout India. Nowadays, people celebrate
it as one of the major and popular Hindu festival. Because of the
festival and the visual appeal of the deity, Ganesha is currently
one of the most popular and celebrated deities of Hinduism.

How the festival is celebrated?

As stated before, the festival is celebrated by people both at
homes and in public according to convenience. Both are not mutually
exclusive. People worship him both at home and in public if it suits
them. Traditionally, it is celebrated from 1-14 days according to
convenience. Some do it for only one day, and by evening carry the
statue to a water body and immerse it. Others do it for three days
or seven days. The public celebrations usually continue from10-14
days.

The first day is the most important, since it is the day on which
the deity is invited to the place of worship through invocations
and directly worshipped in living form. From then on until the day
of immersion, he is worshipped with reverence and devotion. People
from the neighborhood continue to visit the places where he is installed,
offer their homage and participate in the celebrations. Although
household celebrations are more common during the festival, public
celebrations receive wider attention due to the festive atmosphere,
community involvement and the intense business and commercial activity
they generate.

Worship at home.

On the day of the festival, men and women wake up in the early
morning. In the rural areas men go out, bathe in the public ponds
or canals and go into the fields. They collect leaves, flowers and
twigs for the worship and return home to make further arrangements.
Women also wake up in the early morning and prepare various types
of traditional foods and delicacies, which are known to be dearer
to the god. In urban areas, people mostly buy food as well as ritual
material from local vendors for the worship.

The worship of Ganesha lasts for a few hours and is usually done
in the early morning. It may be done by the devotees themselves,
or with the help of priests. If the priest is involved, a day or
two before the worship, he will give elaborate instructions as to
what materials should be kept ready and what arrangements should
be made. There is an advantage in engaging priests since they recite
the mantras with accuracy and take care of the ritual observances,
with which common people may not be familiar. However, since Ganesha
is a Saiva deity, there are no caste restrictions on who should
or should not worship him. People from all backgrounds have the
permission to worship him directly. If there is any requirement,
it is about cleanliness, commitment, devotion, and sincerity. Ganesha
is a god of benevolence as well as destruction because of his association
with the Tantras. Hence, no one should take liberties with him or
invoke his wrath.

The worship of Ganesha is an elaborate ritual. It is mostly based
upon the smarta tradition, and follow the same pattern as in case
of the worship of many other deities. The central idea is that you
invite the deity, the way you will invite any guest who visits your
house, and you will honor him with love and attention. To begin
with, you give him water to wash his feet (padyam), water to drink
(achamaniyam), and a comfortable seat (asanam) to sit and relax.
Then, you make arrangements for his bath, give him refreshments,
clothes and food and have a nice and pleasant conversation with
him through numerous chants and prayers while he enjoys the food
you serve and the love and attention you shower upon him. Finally,
when all observances are done, he blesses you, grants your wishes
and goes his way. The following is a traditional account of the
worship of Ganesha. There can be local and regional variations,
but this is the standard format.

On the day of the worship, devotees should choose a place in
the northeastern corner of the house to conduct the worship. They
should clean it with water and decorate it with flowers and traditional
floral designs. A wooden stool, not very low or high, should be
placed at the center of it, which should be cleaned and decorated
because it is the foundation for the whole ritual. A statue of Ganesha,
made of clay or even rice paste, should be placed on it, and decorated
with vermillion, turmeric, and sandal paste. A clean betel leaf
should be placed on the stool, on a bed or rice, before or by the
side of the Ganesha image. An image of the Ganesha should be made
with turmeric paste and placed on it. Oil lamps should be placed
in the corners and lighted. A few incense sticks should be lighted
and placed in the stand before him to create an atmosphere of reverential
solemnity.

After these preliminary arrangements, family members should sit
before the deity in a group and start the worship. The ritual worship
should begin with the utterance of Aum or a prayer. Usually, the
devotees begin it by chanting the names of Kesava (kesavanamas).
Then the worshipper should do self-cleansing (atma-shuddi) by sprinkling
water on himself, followed by cleansing of the earth (bhu-shuddi),
uttering specific mantras for each cleansing ritual. The next step
is reciting the Gayatri mantra, or any mantra traditionally used
by the family or given by the guru, and making a declaration of
intention (sankalpa). In the sankapla, worshippers have to specify
clearly at what place, on what auspicious date, time, and moment,
in which week, month, and season of the calendar year, which persons,
belonging to which gotra and family, for what specific purpose (health,
wealth, etc.), and for the satisfaction of which deity or deities
they have gathered to conduct the worship. The wording is a standard
format, which is used in almost every Hindu ritual worship.

After that, they have to install the sacred water pot (kalasam)
by decorating it with turmeric, vermillion, flowers and coconut,
chanting appropriate mantras. Next, they have to throw a few turmeric
mixed rice grains (akshatas) on the image of Ganesha, touch it with
their right hand, utter a few mantras to invoke the deity and install
their own life breaths. This ritual is called Prana Pratishta. After
the deity is firmly installed in the minds and hearts of the devotees,
they have to proceed to worship him further in the following manner.
Each of the below mentioned step involves an offering accompanied
by a prayer or a mantra and the sequence is more or less the same.
It is done according to the traditional, Hindu manners and etiquette,
which are customarily extended to any guest who visits the house
of a Hindu householder.

Dhyanam: A prayer is offered mentally or
verbally to Ganesha, extolling him.

Avahanam: Ganesha is invited along with
his vehicle (vahanam) to the place of worship with a reverential
mantra.

Asanam: Ganesha is offered a seat of honor,
which is customary in Hindu tradition when a guest arrives.

Arghyam: This is cleansing ritual in which
water is sprinkled on the deity with a flower, along with a
mantra and a salutation.

Padyam: This is an offering of water to
Ganesha for the cleansing of his feet, and again it is part
of an honor that is due to a guest who comes by walk from outside.

Achamaniyam: It is an offering of water
to the deity for drinking to quench his thirst since he has
come from a long distance.

Madhuparkam: This is an offering of sweet
beverage made of curd, honey, Jaggery, or sugar for drinking.
Any sweet drink will do.

Panchamruta snanam: In this, the deity
is offered the sacred mixture for ritual bathing, which is made
of five types of substances namely cow milk, curd, ghee, honey,
and sugar or sweet water.

Suddhodaka snanam: It is the offering of
clean water (gathered from various rivers) for ablution or a
clean bath.

Vasthram: This is the offering of new clothes
according to one’s capacity. Usually in the rituals a piece
of cloth or cotton yarn is placed before or on the deity. In
more elaborate rituals real clothes are gifted, which go to
the share of the main priest.

Upavitham or Yajnopavitham: This is the
offering of sacred thread, which is traditionally worn by the
Brahmanas and a few higher castes.

Gandham: This is the offering of scent
or sandal paste mixed with other natural salts and perfumes
(karpuram and kasturi) for the deity’s body.

Akshitan: In this ritual rice grains, mixed
with turmeric and vermillion, are showered upon the head of
the deity.

Pushpam: Various types of flowers are offered
to the deity.

Adhanga or Sarvanga puja: In this, the
devotee worships the deity’s body, specifying each bodily part
along with a mantra, from the feet upwards to the forehead.

Adha ekavimsathi pathra Puja: This involves
the worship of Ganesha with 21 different types of leaves, which
are considered very sacred and dearer to him. With each offering
a specific form of Ganesha is invoked. The number 21 is probably
a reference to 21 tattvas.

Athashtottara sathanama puja: In this the
worshipper invokes 108 names of Ganesha in reverential praise
to signify his greatness, qualities, victories and virtues.
Devotees should add Aum before and Namah (salutation) at the
end of each name when they utter those names.

Dhupam: After the above mentioned ritual,
one should light a piece of camphor in a plate or in large spoon,
offer it to the deity and show it to the worshippers for their
salutations.

Dipam: This is the offering of light or
a lighted oil lamp (arathi) to the deity, accompanied by salutations
and prayers as mentioned above.

Naivedyam: All types of food, which is
cooked in the household for the specific purpose, along with
water and sweet drinks, should be placed before the deity and
offered with great love and devotion.

Suvarna Pushpam: This is an offering of
flowers to the deity as an honor and respect, after he has been
served a good meal to make him feel more comfortable and at
home.

Thambulam: It is an offering of betel nut,
limestone paste, spices, and sweeteners wrapped in betel leaves,
which serves as a mouth freshener and digester. It is usually
taken after a meal by many traditional Hindus. The paan or khilly
is the modern version.

Neerajanam: This is an offering of prostrations
before the deity by the devotees to express humility, devotion
and surrender.

Atha doorvaa-yugma puja: This is an invocation
of 10 popular names of Ganesha.

Mantra pushpam: This is a salutation to
Ganehsa by the worshipper, holding flowers and a few coins in
the hands to express reverence and gratitude (sumanjali). The
money is given away in charity or to the priest.

Prarthana: This is the offering of a prayer
of praise, seeking the blessings of Ganesha for success in all
endeavors. Devotee may also do pradakshina (circumambulations)
around themselves, while they pray.

Vayana danam: This the gifting of traditional
sweets, snacks or cakes, which are usually offered to a guest
for his return journey before his departure from the home.

Pratigraha mantram: In this a reverential
prayer is uttered by the householder and his family to Ganesha,
requesting him to accept the gifts that have been offered to
him for his return journey.

Pratima Danam: This is a prayerful farewell
by the worshippers to the deity, who has thus far been established
in the image, declaring that the worship is now concluded. While
they recite it, they do pradakshinas, expressing gratitude,
and seek his forgiveness for any mistakes in the performance
of the ritual and for the sins of their past lives. At the end
of it, the main worshipper or the priest places few rice grains
upon his own head, and moves the images slightly with his right
hand. The act denotes that Ganesha has departed from the statue
in which he was previously installed and left the place of worship
to return to his abode in Kailash.

Katha: According to tradition, the ritual
worship of Ganesha on the day of the festival is incomplete
unless worshippers listen with devotion to the stories of his
exploits and greatness, and know the significance of Ganesh
Chaturthi and the importance of his worship. Devotees do not
leave the place of the ritual until they listen to his stories,
as the priest or the main worshipper narrates them. Once the
narration is complete, they once again offer an Arati (light)
to Ganesha and conclude the worship with benediction to all
who are present.

Prasadam: In the end Prasadam, or the remains
of the sacrifical offerings are distributed among all the worshipper
who grace the occastion. After the worship, the family members
share a rich meal and celebrate the occasion.

Nimajjanam: This is the immersion of Ganesha
statue with the ritual material in a pond or water body to signify
that the tattvas that are present in the temporary body of Ganesha
which was created by the worshippers for the specific purpose
have been returned to their natural, elemental state.

Public worship

Public celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi are organized by local
people, community leaders, youth groups, street gangs, traders,
home associations, and business people. Funds for the celebration
are collected from various sources including residents and business
people. Since all types of people participate in fund collection,
it often results in controversy in some places as people feel pressurized
or intimated to make the donations. However, overall it is a peaceful
process as most people understand that they are engaged in a sacred
task

The money which is collected for the festival is primarily spent
to purchase the statues of Ganesha, erect ceremonial tent-shelters
or awnings, which are known as shamianas or pandals where the statues
are installed, to decorate them, and to organize daily worship.
From the day of the festival and until the day of immersion, Ganesha
is worshipped with a lot of devotion and fanfare. People visit the
pandals according to their convenience and pay their respects.

Besides worship, organizers arrange several cultural and entertainment
activities such as singing, dancing, religious discourses, play
acting, devotional singing, and games, in which people of all ages
participate and enjoy. The statues for the celebration come in various
shapes and sizes, some as tall as 50ft to100ft.

On the seventh, tenth or 14th day, depending upon their convenience
or local practices, people carry the statues on trucks, chariots
and other vehicles in large processions to the nearby ponds, lakes,
rivers, and seas and immerse them. As the festival has become extremely
popular, the large scale immersion of Ganesha statues in local water
bodies every year has raised numerous concerns about water pollution
and other environmental problems.

Local variations and miscellaneous information

In some parts of rural Andhra Pradesh, a few days before the
Ganesh Chaturthi young people collect barbed seeds of a local weed,
known as palleru (bristly starbur or Texas cockspur), and spray
them on the roads to trouble those who walk in the streets barefoot.
It is to mark the unruliness of Shiva Ganas who are headed by Ganesha.
Hence, people take the trouble lightly, and let the young ones have
their fun. This practice may be unknown or in decline in several
places.

Ganesh Chaturthi is a special occasion for many artisans and
local artists in many parts of India to show their talent and artistry.
Since Ganesha has numerous forms, gaits, and colors, they use their
creative skills to make colorful images of him in clay or plaster
of Paris and offer them for sale.

The city of Mumbai is the foremost among all metropolitan cities
in celebrating the festival. Millions of people from all sections
of society participate in the processions on the day of the immersion
ceremony.

Students seek the blessings of Ganesha during the festival seeking
success in the examinations. They place their books near the deity
during worship and apply turmeric to the covers or corners for good
luck.

Ganesha is a lover of rich foods. According to the legends, he
has an insatiable appetite for food. He is especially fond of traditional
sweetmeats called Undrallu and Kudumulu (made of boiled rice cakes).

In Goa a day after Ganesh Chaturthi, people celebrate Navyachi
Pancham, a harvest festival, during which farmers bring freshly
harvested paddy from the fields and worship the gods. People also
refrain from eating non-vegetarian food during the celebration.

In some households, people may worship Ganesha along with goddess
Lakshimi. He is also worshipped along with his consorts Siddhi and
Buddhi and his vehicle, the rat. The images are mostly seated forms.
However in some public places, people may install standing and dancing
Ganesha images also.

About: Hinduwebsite.com provides original
and scholarly information about Hinduism and related religions, society and
culture. We promote tolerance and the highest ideals reflected in these cultures.
We have been serving the world community since 1999.
More...